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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24941614">Spottedleaf's Resolve</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrademarkLies/pseuds/TrademarkLies'>TrademarkLies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Warriors - Erin Hunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:47:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,269</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24941614</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrademarkLies/pseuds/TrademarkLies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Spottedpaw is destined to become a medicine cat. This is what she’s wanted since the day she met Featherwhisker and Goosefeather. But something evil lurks in the heart of ThunderClan, one that threatens to destroy everyone that Spottedpaw holds dear. Will she be able to use her position to stop it? Or will everything she had worked for be washed away? </p>
<p>A reimagining of Spottedleaf's Heart - one that fits the previous canon a little more and removes uncomfortable topics.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Allegiances</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Leader: Sunstar—bright ginger tom with yellow eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Deputy: Tawnyspots—light gray tabby tom with amber eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Medicine cat(s): Goosefeather—speckled gray tom with pale blue eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Featherwhisker—pale silvery tom with bright amber eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warriors: Stormtail—blue-gray tom with blue eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adderfang—mottled brown tabby tom with yellow eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Halftail—big dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes and part of his tail missing</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Smallear—gray tom with very small ears and amber eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fuzzypelt—black tom with yellow eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Windflight—gray tabby tom with pale green eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>White-eye—pale gray she-cat, blind in one eye</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poppydawn—long-haired dark red she-cat with an extremely bushy tail and amber eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speckletail—pale tabby she-cat with amber eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patchpelt—small black-and-white tom with amber eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apprentice, Whitepaw</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thrushpelt—sandy-gray tom with white flash on his chest and bright green eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dappletail—tortoiseshell she-cat with a lovely dappled coat</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bluefur—thick-furred blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thistleclaw—gray-and-white tom with amber eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apprentice, Tigerpaw</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rosetail—gray tabby she-cat with a bushy reddish tail</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lionheart— golden tabby tom, green eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goldenflower—pale ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leopardfoot—black she-cat with green eyes</span>
</p><p><span>Apprentices:</span> <span>Tigerpaw—big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws</span></p><p>
  <span>Whitepaw—pure white tom with yellow eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Queens: Robinwing—small brown she-cat with a ginger patch on her chest and amber eyes (mother to Brindlekit, a pale gray tabby she-kit, and Frostkit, a white she-kit with blue eyes)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Swiftbreeze—tabby-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes (mother to Spottedkit, a dark tortoiseshell she-kit; Willowkit, a pale gray she-kit with blue eyes; and Redkit, a small tortoiseshell tom with a ginger tail)</span>
</p><p><span>Elders:</span> <span>Weedwhisker—pale orange tom with yellow eyes</span></p><p>
  <span>Mumblefoot—brown tom with amber eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Larksong—tortoiseshell she-cat with pale green eyes</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You should play with your littermates.” Larksong murmured as she rasped a tongue over Spottedkit’s back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spottedkit blinked once, watching Frostkit pounce on Redkit, bringing him to the ground. Greenleaf filled the clearing with a drowsy warmth, but while the warriors were out hunting the abundance of prey, the kits were playing under the watchful eye of the elders. Most of them, that is. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine just watching.” She murmured, laying her head down. While playing with the other kits was fun, they were too rough lately. Robinwing had said it was because the kits were almost apprentices. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not that I don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>want </span>
  <em>
    <span>to play with them. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Spottedkit thought glumly to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I just wish we could play mossball or featherchase instead. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She didn’t like playing rough, especially now that Frostkit and Brindlekit were almost fully grown. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” Redkit’s voice carried over to where Spottedkit laid in the entrance of the elder’s den. “I don’t want to be the medicine cat! You’re always the leader, let one of us have a turn.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Frostkit puffed up, her thick white fur making her look like a snowball to Spottedkit. “I’m the biggest, aren’t I? A leader should always be the strongest cat!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not always,” Willowkit butted in. “Adderfang is stronger than Sunstar but he’s not the leader.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re only saying that because you’re Adderfang’s kit!” Brindekit piped up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cluster of kits started squabbling again and Spottedkit sighed. “Do they ever stop?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, not unless someone tells them to stop.” Larksong purred. “Why don’t you go over there and stop it? They always listen to you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They never listen to me unless they want to,” Spottedkit said, but she was already wiggling out of Larksong’s grasp, much to the amusement of the elder, and padded over. “Guys, do we really have to argue?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Frostkit is so bossy!” Redkit whined. “All she does is tell us what to do and-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well maybe if you’d listen to me sometime I wouldn’t be bossy!” Frostkit interjected. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Willowkit stepped forward. “Well, if someone else got to be leader for once we probably would listen to you!” The gaggle of kits broke into bickering again and Spottedkit inwardly groaned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” Spottedkit stood taller and pushed her way between the other kits. “How about this? Willowkit can be leader and Frostkit can be deputy. Isn’t that better than fighting?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Redkit and Frostkit looked at each other suspiciously, but Brindlekit nodded. “Yes! A very good idea. Come on guys, let’s do that.” Her voice was genuine and sweet, but Spottedkit got a distinct impression that the tabby she-kit just wanted to stop them from bickering. Spottedkit couldn’t blame her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should be our medicine cat.” Willowkit purred, rubbing against Spottedkit. “Since you’re always in the medicine den anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spottedkit giggled and stepped away, the excitement of her denmates utterly infectious. “Okay. What should I do as your medicine cat?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Willowkit puffed up. “We’re going to war soon! ShadowClan has been stealing our prey again. Frostwing, you’ll lead a patrol with Redfur-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a boring name!” Redkit interrupted. “Give me something cooler.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Willowkit flicked her brother with her tail. “Fine. Red</span>
  <em>
    <span>tiger </span>
  </em>
  <span>will go with you. I’ll take Brindleheart with me.” She hesitated and glanced at Spottedkit. "I… uh, I don't know what you're supposed to be doing." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With an inward sigh, Spottedkit nodded sagely. “It sounds like a good plan. I’ll go and gather herbs before the battle.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brindekit hopped forward. “Willowstar! There are intruders!" Instantly, all attention was on the mock battle again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“ShadowClan!” Redkit whirled around and faced Larksong, who was watching the kits. “You will surrender to us!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spottedkit watched her denmates for a long moment before trudging to the medicine cat den. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It's not </span>
  </em>
  <span>my</span>
  <em>
    <span> fault that all they want to do is play fight. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She shook her head to clear out the bad thoughts and hurried to the cracked rock. The aromatic scent of herbs suffused the air and soothed her irritated mood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It hurts!” Spottedkit’s ears perked when she heard Poppydawn’s voice. “Can’t you give me something for the pain?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you weren’t fooling around with Windflight it wouldn’t have happened,” Featherwhisker said. His tone was stern but still warm. “I won’t have enough poppy seeds to go around if I start giving them to every furball who hurts themselves while roughhousing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Poppydawn huffed. “I can fool around with him if I want to. I was just unlucky- ow!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Spottedkit poked her head into the den, she winced at the sight of bloody cobwebs and moss piled beside the two cats. Poppydawn was holding up a splayed forepaw as Featherwhisker tended to it. “I”m giving you comfrey and dock,” the medicine cat was saying. “It’ll sting but you’ll feel better in a little bit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>How can Featherwhisker tell the herbs apart? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Spottedkit squinted, but all the roots and leaves looked the same. She could just barely make out a few flowers, but not any she could name. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There,” Featherwhisker said as he used a long weed to bind a poultice to Poppydawn’s paw, “that should do it. Now, be careful not to use that paw too much or the bindweed will come undone.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re the best medicine cat ThunderClan could have,” Poppydawn said fondly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Featherwhisker hummed lightly. “Goosefeather is still around. He’s just as good of a medicine cat as I am.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh-huh.” Spottedkit could hear the disbelief in Poppydawn’s voice. “How long until I can go hunting again?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Until I say so! Now shoo and let me- oh, hello.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Featherwhisker’s amber gaze landed on Spottedkit and she squeaked. “I’m sorry! I was just- I’ll go.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have a little admirer.” Poppydawn purred. “Hello, Spottedkit. Don’t stay around too long or Goosefeather will get you!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hush you, and go rest!” Featherwhisker rolled his eyes, then padded over as Poppydawn limped away. “Come in, Spottedkit. Are you hurting?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-no.” Spottedkit shuffled her paws, feeling a bit foolish. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I was just gonna ask for an herb to show the others… but that’s silly. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I was just playing when I heard Poppydawn and I got curious.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Curiosity is a good trait for kits to have.” Featherwhisker purred. “But why hang around with me? I’m sure your siblings are far more interesting than some dusty old herbs.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not really.” Spottedkit gingerly stepped around Featherwhisker’s plume-like tail, trying her best not to tread on it, and peered at the plants the medicine cat was working on. “All they want to do is wrestle and listen to the warriors talk about fighting.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you’re not interested in that stuff?” Featherwhisker asked as he began sorting a bundle of herbs at his paws. “Are you just disinterested or are you not feeling well?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I feel fine.” Spottedkit glanced sheepishly at her paws. “And I like playing with the other kits! I’m no good at it though. They always say I don’t try hard enough. Swiftbreeze says I’ll get better once I’ve trained for a few moons but…” she trailed off awkwardly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you don’t think you will.” Featherwhisker finished softly, his voice sympathetic. “Well, there’s more to life than battle, you know. Warriors also hunt, patrol, have kits, and raise apprentices. And of course, medicine cats help take care of the Clan.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spottedkit blinked once, then tilted her head to the side. “Dappletail told us that medicine cats don’t enjoy their work. That’s why Goosefeather is so grumpy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Featherwhisker snorted with laughter. “Goosefeather is just Goosefeather, it has nothing to do with being a medicine cat. Just like warriors, I work hard and enjoy it, even if it’s not fighting on the frontlines. It’s very rewarding.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't you want kits?" Spottedkit blurted out, then immediately felt foolish. "I mean, when I asked Swiftbreeze about being a medicine cat, she said you can never have kits." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Featherwhisker laughed softly, then motioned for Spottedkit to sit beside him. "It’s true that medicine cats can’t take a mate or have kits, but honestly I've never been interested in it anyway. The whole Clan is my family." He gave her a mischievous look. "And some of them act more like kits than others. Lionheart and Rosetail are always hurting themselves and then acting like their tails have been pulled off." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spottedkit settled as close as she dared, worried her breathing might disturb the piles of leaves and berries. Her eyes caught on a few white flowers and she squinted. “... I know those! You gave them to Redkit when he was all sick and hot!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very good!” Featherwhisker praised. His was sincere, unlike the numerous compliments thrown at kits by warriors. Spottedkit felt her fur fluff up in pride as the medicine cat continued. “This is feverfew. We use it to soothe fevers, which is what causes cats to get all hot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The medicine cat pushed a flower sprig and a scrap of bark to Spottedkit. “Do you recognize these?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spottedkit stared at the herbs for a long moment, racking her brain. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Come on… this should be easy… the bark is oak? Or birch? No, not birch. Maybe alder? </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment of silence, Spottedkit finally dipped her head. “... no. I’m sorry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For?” Featherwhisker’s voice was threaded with a purr. “You haven’t been outside the camp and it’s not like this grows in our clearing.” He delicately picked up the flower with a single paw. “This is lavender. It can also cure fever. And this,” the tom tilted his head to the side to indicate the bark, “is willow. It will soothe the pain you get from a fever, so it’s very useful.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spottedkit was awe-struck. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s so smart! </span>
  </em>
  <span>“You must have memorized everything when you were young. I don’t think I could ever be like you.” She tried to keep her words light, but she felt a mixture of apprehension and envy worming its way through her chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The gray tom hesitated, then turned to Spottedkit. “I was like all kits when I was younger. Rambunctious and full of energy, easily distracted. But I felt StarClan called me to do something else, to help the Clan in a way others couldn’t. Do you feel that way?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spottedkit hopped to her paws, heart beating fast. “I do!” Her excitement dimmed, however, when she recalled the conversation she’d had with Larksong about that very topic. “But that would mean Goosefeather would have to retire or-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m very hale and hearty, thank you, so I’d like if you wouldn’t talk about my impending demise,” a rasping voice called out from the entrance of the den. Spottedkit felt her heart jump to her throat as Goosefeather himself walked in. He had a mouthful of bright flowers, but even their fragrance couldn’t mask the thick stench of the old medicine cat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Featherwhisker, are you trying to shove me off into the elders’ den again?” The old tom grumbled as he stalked by. He came within a claw’s breadth of Spottedkit but didn’t even acknowledge her presence. “If so, I’m going to pluck out every whisker you have.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was doing no such thing." Despite Goosefeather's sour attitude, Featherwhisker's voice was full of nothing but affection. "Spottedkit was just interested in becoming a medicine cat, isn't that right?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Under the gaze of both medicine cats, Spottedkit felt herself wither. "Um… maybe… I don't know. It’s not time for me to be an apprentice yet after all.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Goosefeather grunted. “Well, you need to figure it out.” He growled. “Medicine cats can’t hesitate. Now get out of my den before I give you a reason to be in my den.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spottedkit darted out as fast as she could, her fur beginning to fluff up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If being a medicine cat means turning out like Goosefeather, I don’t know if I want to be one! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Still, as she joined her denmates who gathered around Mumblefoot for a story, her heart felt strangely light in her chest.</span>
</p>
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